‘Very significant’: The Mercedes-Benz decision that could fast track autonomous cars

A recent announcement from Mercedes-Benz could fast track the rollout of autonomous cars and lay the groundwork for widespread adoption, according to industry experts.

While self-driving cars already exist (in trials) and are relatively capable, legal disputes over accountability following accidents is one of the most significant barriers preventing them from joining the traffic en masse.

However – as revealed to Road and Track earlier this week – the German car giant has now accepted legal responsibility for its autonomous 'Drive Pilot' system, which can automatically brake, accelerate, steer within its lane, and turn off highways.

Drive Pilot is currently exclusive to the S-Class luxury sedan and its EQS electric equivalent (shown above), however it is expected to trickle down into lesser models in the future.

“Once you engage Drive Pilot you are no longer legally liable for the car's operation until it disengages," the outlet reported, citing Drive Pilot's senior development manager Gregor Kugelmann. 

"You can look away, watch a movie, or zone out ... If the car crashes while Drive Pilot is operating, that's Mercedes' problem, not yours."

The most recent announcement is in contrast to Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' system and General Motors' 'Ultra Cruise', which both currently require users to agree to a disclaimer before engaging the technology.

“The [announcement] is very significant, and I think it suggests the technology is actually starting to arrive,” Toby Walsh, an autonomous driving expert and professor of artificial intelligence at the University of New South Wales, told Drive.

“There’s this significant barrier that car companies and the market have to get over, and that’s ‘who’s going to take responsibility?’ … The law hasn’t really caught up yet.

“There are going to be accidents, so who is responsible for the cost and injuries those accidents cause? The legal conundrum is that we haven’t updated our road rules and our insurance system to take into account that there are going to be cars on the road that people aren’t driving.

“This announcement could hasten the adoption of the technology and it certainly makes it easier for regulators to allow these cars onto the road, because there is a clear person who is going to take responsibility and pay for any damage.”

In 2015 Volvo became the first manufacturer to accept some liability for its autonomous driving systems, albeit with some major provisions and exemptions – and primarily in official trials, rather than publicly-available cars.

However, it has not continued to test its technology to the same extent as Mercedes-Benz; last year the German brand received government approval to began trialling full autonomy on select German highways.

It is currently lobbying for the same provisions in the USA, and has announced its intentions to roll out the technology in North America before the end of this year.

An accident in Melbourne earlier this week reignited debate surrounding accountability with autonomous technology, with the driver claiming she believed the Tesla 'Autopilot' system was capable of driving the car for her. You can read the full story by clicking here.